Brian Johnson fans have been given a powerful new weapon in the ongoing struggle to determine exactly who is the better AC/DC lead singer -- namely, this economic research paper by Professor Robert J. Oxoby from the Department of Economics, University of Calgary. Oxoby.

Since it is difficult to ascertain which vocalist was better given the heterogeneity of musical tastes, our analysis does not focus on the aural or sonic quality of the vocalists’ performances. Rather, using tools from the field of experimental economics, and we consider which vocalist results in individuals arriving at more efficient outcomes in a simple bargaining game. Our results suggest that having participants listen to songs by AC/DC in which Brian Johnson served as vocalist results in participants realizing more efficient outcomes. Thus, in terms of a singer’s ability to implement efficient behavioral outcomes among listeners, our results suggest that Brian Johnson was a better vocalist than Bon Scott.

Download the entire study here. Hat tip to Freakonomics Blog.